Persuading a donor to give to another individual a gift that he or
she had planned to give to a Community — when one knows that it was
intended for the Community — is a pācittiya offense (Pc 82)

Robes

Keeping a piece of robe-cloth for more than ten days without
determining it for use or placing it under shared ownership — except
when the robe-season or kathina privileges are in effect — is a
nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 1)

Being in a separate zone from any of one’s three robes at dawn —
except when one’s kathina privileges are in effect or one has received
formal authorization from the Community — is a nissaggiya pācittiya
offense. (NP 2)

Keeping out-of-season robe-cloth for more than 30 days when it is
not enough to make a requisite and one has expectation for more —
except when the robe-season and kathina privileges are in effect — is a
nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 3)

Accepting robe-cloth from an unrelated bhikkhunī without giving her anything in exchange is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 5)

Asking for and receiving robe-cloth from an unrelated lay person,
except when one’s robes have been snatched away or destroyed, is a
nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 6)

Asking for and receiving excess robe-cloth from unrelated lay people
when one’s robes have been snatched away or destroyed is a nissaggiya
pācittiya offense. (NP 7)

When a lay person who is not a relative is planning to get a robe
for one but has yet to ask one what kind of robe one wants: Receiving
the robe after making a request that would improve it is a nissaggiya
pācittiya offense. (NP 8)

When two or more lay people who are not one’s relatives are planning
to get separate robes for one but have yet to ask one what kind of robe
one wants: Receiving a robe from them after asking them to pool their
funds to get one robe — out of a desire for something fine — is a
nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 9)

Making a felt blanket/rug with silk mixed in it for one’s own use — or having it made — is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 11)

Making a felt blanket/rug entirely of black wool for one’s own use — or having it made — is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 12)

Making a felt blanket/rug that is more than one-half black wool for
one’s own use — or having it made — is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 13)

Unless one has received authorization to do so from the Community,
making a felt blanket/rug for one’s own use — or having it made — less
than six years after one’s last one was made is a nissaggiya pācittiya
offense. (NP 14)

Making a felt sitting rug for one’s own use — or having it made —
without incorporating a one-span piece of old felt is a nissaggiya
pācittiya offense. (NP 15)

Seeking and receiving a rains-bathing cloth before the fourth month
of the hot season is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. Using a
rains-bathing cloth before the last two weeks of the fourth month of
the hot season is also a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 24)

Taking thread that one has asked for improperly and getting weavers
to weave cloth from it — when they are unrelated and have not made a
previous offer to weave — is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 26)

When donors who are not relatives — and have not invited one to ask
— have arranged for weavers to weave robe-cloth intended for one:
Receiving the cloth after getting the weavers to improve it is a
nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 27)

Keeping robe-cloth offered in urgency past the end of the robe
season after having accepted it during the last eleven days of the
Rains-residence is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 28)

When one is living in a dangerous wilderness abode during the month
after the Rains-residence and has left one of one’s robes in the
village where one normally goes for alms: Being away from the abode and
the village for more than six nights at a stretch — except when
authorized by the Community — is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 29)

Acquiring an overly large sitting cloth after making it — or having
it made — for one’s own use is a pācittiya offense requiring that one
cut the cloth down to size before confessing the offense. (Pc 89)

Acquiring an overly large skin-eruption covering cloth after making
it — or having it made — for one’s own use is a pācittiya offense
requiring that one cut the cloth down to size before confessing the
offense. (Pc 90)

Acquiring an overly large rains-bathing cloth after making it — or
having it made — for one’s own use is a pācittiya offense requiring
that one cut the cloth down to size before confessing the offense. (Pc 91)

Acquiring an overly large robe after making it — or having it made —
for one’s own use is a pācittiya offense requiring that one cut the
robe down to size before confessing the offense. (Pc 92)

Food

Eating any of the five staple foods that a lay person has offered as
the result of a bhikkhunī’s prompting — unless the lay person was
already planning to offer the food before her prompting — is a
pācittiya offense. (Pc 29)

Eating food obtained from the same public alms center two days
running — without leaving in the interim — unless one is too ill to
leave the center, is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 31)

Eating a meal to which four or more individual bhikkhus have been
specifically invited — except on special occasions — is a pācittiya
offense. (Pc 32)

Eating a meal before going to another meal to which one was invited,
or accepting an invitation to one meal and eating elsewhere instead, is
a pācittiya offense except when one is ill or during the time of giving
cloth or making robes. (Pc 33)

Accepting more than three bowlfuls of food that the donors prepared
for their own use as presents or as provisions for a journey is a
pācittiya offense. (Pc 34)

Eating staple or non-staple food that is not left-over, after having
earlier in the day finished a meal during which one turned down an
offer to eat further staple food, is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 35)

Eating staple or non-staple food in the period from noon till the next dawn is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 37)

Eating food that a bhikkhu — oneself or another — formally received on a previous day is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 38)

Eating finer staple foods, after having asked for them for one’s own sake — except when ill — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 39)

Eating food that has not been formally given is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 40)

Eating staple or non-staple food, after having accepted it from the
hand of an unrelated bhikkhunī in a village area, is a pāṭidesanīya
offense. (Pd 1)

Eating staple food accepted at a meal to which one has been invited
and where a bhikkhunī has given directions, based on favoritism, as to
which bhikkhu should get which food, and none of the bhikkhus have
dismissed her, is a pāṭidesanīya offense. (Pd 2)

Eating staple or non-staple food, after accepting it — when one is
neither ill nor invited — at the home of a family formally designated
as “in training,” is a pāṭidesanīya offense. (Pd 3)

Eating an unannounced gift of staple or non-staple food after
accepting it in a dangerous wilderness abode when one is not ill is a
pāṭidesanīya offense. (Pd 4)

Lodgings

Building a plastered hut — or having it built — without a sponsor,
destined for one’s own use, without having obtained the Community’s
approval, is a saºghādisesa offense. Building a plastered hut — or
having it built — without a sponsor, destined for one’s own use,
exceeding the standard measurements, is also a saºghādisesa offense. (Sg 6)

Building a hut with a sponsor — or having it built — destined for
one’s own use, without having obtained the Community’s approval, is a
saºghādisesa offense. (Sg 7)

When a bhikkhu is building or repairing a large dwelling for his own
use, using resources donated by another, he may not reinforce the
window or door frames with more than three layers of roofing material
or plaster. To exceed this is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 19)

Acquiring a bed or bench with legs longer than eight sugata
fingerbreadths after making it — or having it made — for one’s own use
is a pācittiya offense requiring that one cut the legs down before
confessing the offense. (Pc 87)

Acquiring a bed or bench stuffed with cotton down after making it —
or having it made — for one’s own use is a pācittiya offense requiring
that one remove the stuffing before confessing the offense. (Pc 88)

Medicine

Keeping any of the five tonics — ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, or
sugar/molasses — for more than seven days, unless one determines to use
them only externally, is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 23)

When a supporter has made an offer to supply medicines to the
Community: Asking him/her for medicine outside of the terms of the
offer when one is not ill is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 47)

Money

When a fund for one’s individual use has been set up with a steward,
obtaining an article from the fund as a result of having prompted the
steward more than the allowable number of times is a nissaggiya
pācittiya offense. (NP 10)

Accepting gold or money, having someone else accept it, or
consenting to its being placed down as a gift for oneself, is a
nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 18)

Obtaining gold or money through trade is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 19)

Bowls and other requisites

Carrying wool that has not been made into cloth or yarn for more than three leagues is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 16)

Keeping an alms bowl for more than ten days without determining it
for use or placing it under shared ownership is a nissaggiya pācittiya
offense. (NP 21)

Asking for and receiving a new alms bowl when one’s current bowl is not beyond repair is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 22)

Acquiring a needle box made of bone, ivory, or horn after making it
— or having it made — for one’s own use is a pācittiya offense
requiring that one break the box before confessing the offense. (Pc 86)

Introduction to the Patimokkha Rules

BSP to play caste card in Assembly elections

Aasha Khosa / New Delhi November 10, 2008, 0:43 IST

As
the analysts were exploring common links in the rise of Barack Obama as
the US President and the Mayawati phenomenon back home, the Bahujan
Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief was busy finalising her caste-based plans
for the coming Assembly elections.

The BSP, which had romped home in Uttar Pradesh last year, is
planning to contest Assembly elections in all the constituencies in
five state — Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jammu
and Kashmir — going to polls in November and December.

According to BSP sources, Mayawati action plan involves playing on
the existing differences between castes and communities in a given
state. “This time, we are working towards emerging as a ruling force in all these states,” an MP from BSP said.

The party’s efforts to repeat the winning formula of Uttar Pradesh,
which was a strategic alliance between the traditional supporters of
BSP — Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa, that is, the Great Prabuddha Bharath— and the upper caste Brahmins, in other states did not
work. “Mishraji (Satish Chandra Mishra, political aide of Mayawati) had
tried to hold Brahmin Sabhas in Rajasthan much in advance.

However, the party has now dangled the bait of reservation before
the Gujjars while retaining its base among the rival Meena tribal
community in Rajasthan.

Likewise, in Chhattisgarh, a recently-floated political party —
Godwana Ganatantra Dal, which promises to espouse the cause of the
tribals, may prove to be a blessing in disguise for the BSP. The
leaders feel the new party would wean away the traditional supporters
of both Congress and BJP, thus giving an advantage to the BSP.

“The more the contestants, better it is for us,” the BSP leader
said. Similarly, the presence of Uma Bharti’s Bharatiya Janshakti Party
in Madhya Pradesh would play a spoiler for the BJP and Congress.

Cong, BJP let down people, says Mayawati

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)supremo Mayawati Sunday hit out at the Congress-led Government at the Centre and Bharatiya Janata Party government ruled States for `ignoring the basic needs of common people’.

‘Poor and middle class are the worst sufferer of Congress government’s unchecked inflation while BJP in States ruled by them failed to improve people’s life quality mainly of scheduled caste (SC)
and scheduled tribe (ST)”.

She sought an opportunity from the people to let the BSP form a government in the state, claiming that only her party was committed to the poor and marginalized people.

Lawyers’ conference proposed on November 12 postponed after talks with C.M. C.M. annonces Rs. One crore for construction of lawyers’ building in Allahabad Immediate possession on land for lawyers’ building in Lucknow and Rs. 50 lakh for building construction announced Lawyers to celebrate Vijay Diwas on November 12 to express their thanks towards C.M. — Chairman and Vice-Chairman UP Bar Council Lucknow : November 10, 2008 A delegation of Uttar Pradesh Bar Council along with UP State Advisory Council Mr. Satish Chandra Mishra called on U.P. Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati here today late in the evening at her official residence 5-Kalidas Marg and apprised the Chief Minister with their problems requesting for solving it. After the meeting, the Chairman of UP Bar Council Mr. Banshidhar Singh and Vice-Chairman Mr. Hari Shankar Singh said that the delegation met the Chief Minister in a cordial atmosphere and discussed about the problems. He said that the Chief Minister sympathetically heard all problems and took immediate decision on about all demands after serious consideration, on which all members of Bar Council present there agreed. The Chief Minister announced for providing Rs. One crore for lawyers’ building in Allahabad, besides possession on the land for lawyers’ building at Lucknow and Rs. 50 lakh for the construction of building. Mr. Banshidhar Singh and Mr. Hari Shankar Singh said that the Chief Minister had also assured that efforts would be made for immediatly solving the problems of lawyers which would came into her knowledge from time to time after proper consideration and the construction of chambers for lawyers in different districts would also be made on priority basis. Chairman and Vice-Chairman of U.P. Bar Council expressed their gratitude towards Mr. Satish Chandra Mishra for disposal of lawyers’ problems in effective manner and arranging their meeting with the Chief Minister. Besides, they also announced for the postponement of State lawyers’ conference proposed on November 12. They appealed to all lawyers for celebrating ‘Vijay Diwas’ in their respective districts for acceptance of their demands by UP Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati and express their thanks towards the Chief Minister. During the meeting, besides UP Bar Council Chairman Mr. Banshidhar Singh, Vice-Chairman Mr. Hari Shankar Singh and members-Mr Baburam Tiwari, Mr. V.K. Srivastava, Mr. Praveen Kumar Singh, Mr. Surendra Mohan Yadav, Mr. Ramakant Mishra, Mr. I.M. Khan, Mr. Ajay Shukla, Dr. Gopal Narayan Mishra, Mr. Amrendra Nath Singh, Mr. Vinod Kumar Singh, Mr. Vivek Mishra, Mr. Arun Kumar Tripathi and Secretary Mr. Prem Nath Tyagi were present. *******

Buddhist monks would walk in silence
from their monasteries to a problem area. Passing through places where
conflicts had taken place, their silence and internal serenity would permeate
and purify the area.

During the Vietnam war, Tich Nat Han
used to silently walk with his monks through his battle torn countryside, referring
to this practice as Dhamma Yatra - pilgrimage of Dhamma; Dhamma meaning the way
of things, or the Truth.

For the past six consecutive years,
the idea of Dhamma Yatra has taken on a fresh and vibrant expression as over
200 people from more than 20 countries worldwide come together each summer for
two weeks, to walk through Southern France in silence, camping in a new place
each evening, meditating on the beauty of nature and being together as Sangha -
a spiritual community making an outer and an inner spiritual journey together.

Buddha is known for having said that
there is “nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to be.”

During our two weeks of good time
walking through nature, we merry pilgrims are reminded of Buddha’s wisdom,
watching the words in bold blue letters - “No where to go, two weeks to
get there!” - on our luggage truck.

On the first morning of the yatra
after breakfast and packing, we all gather in a large circle. Silently
standing, we feel the earth pulsing under our feet, the sky spreading a blue
canopy over our heads, and like a long winding silent snake, we start walking
single file through green meadows fields and woods.

Silently soaking in nature, we walk
step after step, connecting to the immediacy of life. Buzzing thoughts in the
head meet the beautiful dignity and aliveness of trees, earth, sky, water, and
gradually quiet down.

The day of walking is punctuated by
periods of still silent meditation, group discussions exploring various Dhamma
related themes, and Dhamma talks given by one of the teachers.

As a contrast to the stillness and
silence that permeate the day, mealtimes and breaks are filled with
socializing, laughter and often music. We are not walking through war zones or
battle torn areas, but each and every one of us is learning peace and
acceptance within him or her self, as daily we confront the elements in their
raw immediacy, and connect to the here and now of life as it meets us at every
moment.

The French Dhamma Yatra which is
primarily spacious and sweet - basically a bunch of people looking into life
and having fun on the way - gave birth to what is known in Israel as “The
Walk,” an initiative of meditation practitioners who could not bear to
keep looking passively upon violence and hatred, without doing anything about
it.

The Walk, organized by the association, Middle Way,
consists of Arabs and Jews walking silently together in single file through
Arab and Jewish cities and villages in Israel.

Right Action

MN 117 defines wrong action as killing living beings, taking what is not given, and engaging in sexual misconduct.

Killing

Intentionally bringing about the death of a human being, even if it
is still a fetus — whether by killing the person, arranging for an
assassin to kill the person, inciting the person to die, or describing
the advantages of death — is a pārājika offense. (Pr 3)

Pouring water that one knows to contain living beings — or having it
poured — on grass or clay is a pācittiya offense. Pouring anything that
would kill the beings into such water — or having it poured — is also a
pācittiya offense. (Pc 20)

Deliberately killing an animal — or having it killed — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 61)

Using water, or getting others to use it, knowing that it contains
living beings that will die from that use, is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 62)

Taking what is not given

The theft of anything worth 1/24 ounce troy of gold or more is a pārājika offense. (Pr 2)

Having given another bhikkhu a robe on a condition and then — angry
and displeased — snatching it back or having it snatched back is a
nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 25)

Making use of cloth or a bowl stored under shared ownership — unless
the shared ownership has been rescinded or one is taking the item on
trust — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 59)

Sexual misconduct

Intentionally causing oneself to emit semen, or getting someone else
to cause one to emit semen — except during a dream — is a saºghādisesa
offense. (Sg 1)

Lustful bodily contact with a woman whom one perceives to be a woman is a saºghādisesa offense. (Sg 2)

Making a lustful remark to a woman about her genitals, anus or about performing sexual intercourse is a saºghādisesa offense. (Sg 3)

Telling a woman that having sexual intercourse with a bhikkhu would be beneficial is a saºghādisesa offense. (Sg 4)

Getting an unrelated bhikkhunī to wash, dye, or beat a robe that has
been used at least once is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 4)

Getting an unrelated bhikkhunī to wash, dye, or card wool that has
not been made into cloth or yarn is a nissaggiya pācittiya offense. (NP 17)

Lying down at the same time in the same lodging with a woman is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 6)

Teaching more than six sentences of Dhamma to a woman, except in
response to a question, is a pācittiya offense unless a knowledgeable
man is present. (Pc 7)

Exhorting a bhikkhunī about the eight vows of respect — except when
one has been authorized to do so by the Community or asked a question
by a bhikkhunī — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 21)

Exhorting a bhikkhunī on any topic at all after sunset — except when she requests it — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 22)

Going to the bhikkhunīs’ quarters and exhorting a bhikkhunī about
the eight vows of respect — except when she is ill or has requested the
instruction — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 23)

Giving robe-cloth to an unrelated bhikkhunī without receiving anything in exchange is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 25)

Sewing a robe — or having it sewn — for an unrelated bhikkhunī is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 26)

Traveling by arrangement with a bhikkhunī from one village to
another — except when the road is risky or there are other dangers — is
a pācittiya offense. (Pc 27)

Traveling by arrangement with a bhikkhunī upriver or downriver in
the same boat — except when crossing a river — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 28)

When aiming at privacy, sitting or lying down alone with a bhikkhunī
in an unsecluded but private place is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 30)

When aiming at privacy, sitting or lying down with a woman or women
in a private, secluded place with no other man present is a pācittiya
offense. (Pc 44)

When aiming at privacy, sitting or lying down alone with a woman in an unsecluded but private place is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 45)

Traveling by arrangement with a woman from one village to another is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 67)

Buddha statue on display in New Delhi for 3 weeks

NEW DELHI, India — One of nation’s priceless
historical artifacts a Buddha statue believed to be belonging to
Vaishali district of Bihar has made its wayback to the country but for a mere three weeks.One of the oldest statues of Buddha, kept for centuries at the Zenko-ji
temple in Japan, has been brought to the Capital and will be kept for
visitors display at the National Museum for three weeks from Tuesday
for the Zenkoji Shonin Exhibition. The exhibition will also include
other priceless relics from Japan including smaller statues, Japanese
dolls, kimonos, historic paintings.

According to historians, the Buddha statue was brought to Nogaoya city
in Japan from India in 552 AD. As per the Zenko-ji Engi (the origin of
Zenko-ji temple), the principal image, the Ikko Amida Triad, is said to
be the oldest Buddha statue to have been brought to Japan in the year
552 AD during the introduction of Buddhism. Therefore, this Buddha is
said to represent the introduction of Buddhism in Japan.

Since then, it has been kept in the Zenko-ji temple visited by
thousands of tourists daily. It is believed to have healing powers and
bring luck wherever it goes. This statue of Amida Buddha, also known as
Amitabh in Buddhist mythology, will be flown back to Japan on December
1 and is unlikely to be ever brought to India again.

The Zenko-ji Shonin Exhibition will be the first exhibition in India of
treasures from a Japanese temple. “Holding this exhibition represents
the symbolic return of the statue of the Amitabha Buddha in the
Zenko-ji temple for the first time since its arrival in Japan in the
sixth century to the birth place of Shakyamuni and Buddhism 2500 years
ago,'’ said an official. Officials claimed the caretakers of the statue
at the Japanese temple believed “its powers would be recharged in India
(the pure land) before it is brought back to Japan in a few weeks'’.

Mayawati: Original Inhabitant of Jambudvipa that is The Great Prabuddha Bharath ’queen’, now Brahmin messiah

C.M. orders quick redress of advocates ’ grievances by considering their problems sympathetically Lucknow : 09 November, 2008 The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati has directed to set up a 3-member committee headed by the former President of the Bar Council, M.P. and Chairman of the U.P. State Advisory Council Mr. Satish Chandra Mishra to look into the problems of the advocates. The Chairman of the Committee would convene a meeting with the delegation of the advocates and take into account their all problems to give them a serious thought. The Chief Minister has asked the Chairman to consider all the valid demands of the advocates sympathetically. She has also asked him to ensure quick solution to their problems. It may be recalled that the U.P. Bar Council had been raising the problems of the advocates for past so many years. The Bar Council had written a letter to the Government to apprise it of the problems of the advocates. The Chief Minister, taking the letter seriously, decided to set up a committee to solve the problems of the advocates. ******* PN09-Nov2008(LM)(RKS)-Advocates

U.P. C.M. sanctions financial aid for family members of deceased/injured persons of Meerut Blast Lucknow :

08 November, 2008

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati has directed the officers to provide financial aid to the family members of the deceased and injured persons of the Meerut blast. It may be recalled that a blast occurred in Meerut today killing several persons and injuring some others. The C.M. has sanctioned economic aid of Rs. One lakh for the family members of every adult deceased, while Rs. 50,000 has been sanctioned for the family members of every minor deceased. Economic assistance of Rs. 30,000 each for every injured person has also been sanctioned. Besides, she has also directed the district administration to provide proper medical attention to the injured persons. The Chief Minister has conveyed her heartfelt condolences and deep sympathies to the family members of the deceased and prayed for peace to the departed souls. She has wished speedy recovery for those suffering injuries in the blast. It may be recalled that this blast occurred when some persons tried to extract brass from grenade/scrap, which was collected from garbage under the Lisari Gate police station area of Meerut today. Five persons died in the blast and as many got injured. ******* PN08-Nov2008(LM)(RKS)-Meerut-Blast

New
Delhi:Itching come out of the confines of Uttar Pradesh, it stunned
political observers by winning the majority single-handed — Mayawati’s
Bahujan Samaj Party is throwing all its might in ongoing state assembly
elections in Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.

“Our slogan of Sarvajan samaj is attracting support from all
sections of the society and we will spring a surprise this time,” says
BSP’s National General Secretary, Satish Chandra Mishra.

BSP to undercut Congress in northern states

Mayawati’s assiduous campaign to consolidate the Original Inhabitants of jambudevipa, that is, the Great Prabuddha Bharath and
woo other castes in these states will succeed.

Original Inhabitants of jambudevipa, that is, the Great Prabuddha Bharath constitute more than 15 per cent of the population in Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi and 11.6 per cent in Chhattisgarh.

The BSP has increased its vote share in all the assembly elections
held in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand after its UP sweep. In
Himachal Pradesh, it ensured
Congress defeat in over a dozen constituencies. In Delhi, the BSP now
has 17 municipal councillors.

To help the state unit do better, Mayawati has made BSP veteran Seva
Ram as in-charge of the state and two ministers of the UP Government —
Lalji Verma and Anant Kumar Mishra — are camping in Raipur for the last
one month.

The BSP has enjoyed traditional support from the Satanami community
of Chattisgarh, wielding significant influence in Bilaspur and Raipur
districts and had won two assembly seats in 2003. One of the winners
was later disqualified by the High Court following an election petition.

“In the past five years we have extended over network . The party’s
tally in Chattisgarh will be in double digits this time and we may play
the role of the kingmaker,” says Seva Ram. The party is contesting all
the 90 seats in the state assembly.

The BSP will make a public demonstration of its strength at Mayawati’s Raipur rally on November 16.

The party’s National General Secretary sees similar prospects in
Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, where the party is contesting all the seats
on its own.

During Kanshi Ram’s hey days, the BSP had acquired pockets of
influence in Chambal valley and Baghelkhand regions of Madhya Pradesh
along its border with UP and had even won a Lok Sabha seat by defeating
Congress heavyweight Arjun Singh.

The make sure that the party does better this time, Mayawati has
deputed half a dozen ministers in her government to work in Madhya
Pradesh and Delhi.

The CPI(M)’s appeal to its supporters to vote for the BSP where
there is no party candidate has acted as a morale booster for the
party’s attempts to spread out of Uttar Pradesh.

Figures of previous elections suggest that the BSP has emerged as a
threat to both the Congress and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). But
since both the Congress and the BSP share a common support base, the
BSP will be a bigger threat to the Congress,” says Sudha Pai, a
political science professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

Observers feel that even if the BSP does not become a deciding
factor in the formation of governments in these election-bound states,
the party will play the spoiler for the Congress - thus indirectly
determining the electoral outcome in perhaps many constituencies.

Nov. 8: After tasting success in Uttar Pradesh, the Bahujan Samaj
Party is desperately trying to emerge as the first force in the
Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, a state which has largely seen a bipolar
contest between the BJP and the Congress till now.

The BSP had made its mark by winning two seats in the maiden polls
held after the state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh. The party’s
keenness in improving its tally in the forthcoming polls can be gauged
from the fact that it was the first to announce its list of candidates
for the polls. The party is likely to cut into the votes of both the
BJP and the Congress.

The BSP will be fielding candidates in all the 90 Assembly seats.
Though Ms Mayawati will try her social engineering in this particular
state, the majority of the candidates could be OBCs, sources said.

However, in an effort to replicate its formula of social
engineering, successfully implemented in UP, the party has given
adequate representation to all castes and communities. “We are trying
to ensure that neither the Congress nor the BJP is able to make it to
power,” stated BSP president Dauram Ratnakar.
“Our strategy is to give proper recognition to sarva samaj — all
communities —- including the upper castes and other backward classes
(OBCs),” he said.

Chhattisgarh’s population comprises about 12 per cent Scheduled
Castes, believed to be the support base of the party. However, the
party has recognised the influential OBC community by fielding 11
candidates belonging to the prominent Sahu community of the state,
while two brahmins and three members of the vaish community have also
been included. Two Muslims are also part of the BSP list.

Apart from these communities, other groups influential in pockets of
the state like Kurmi, Yadav, Nishad and Kalar have also been given
representation.

The state BSP president claimed that it was not long before the party would emerge as a third force in the state.

In the 2003 polls, the BSP polled more than four per cent votes and
during these polls the party is trying to increase the vote share
considerably.

As part of its electioneering strategy, the BSP has been organising
all-community sammelans across the state in order to explain its
concept of social engineering.

While Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati is expected to make a
pre-poll visit to the state to garner votes for her party, several
senior BSP leaders from Uttar Pradesh, including finance minister Lalji
Verma and minister of state for health Anant Kumar Mishra, have already
started to campaign for the party.

For the BSP, Chhattisgarh has additional importance as party founder
Kanshiram had contested his maiden Lok Sabha election in 1984 from the
Janjgir constituency in the state.

The state BSP chief added that the party was treating these Assembly
polls as a preliminary fight for the Lok Sabha polls that are scheduled
to be held next year.

Cong, BJP let down people, says Mayawati

Raipur,
Nov 9 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party
(BSP)supremo Mayawati Sunday hit out at the Congress-led Government at
the Centre and Chhattisgarh’s Bharatiya Janata Party government for
`ignoring the basic needs of common people’.

‘Poor and middle class are the worst sufferer of
Congress government’s unchecked inflation while BJP in Chhattisgarh
failed to improve people’s life quality mainly of scheduled caste (SC)
and scheduled tribe (ST),” Mayawati told a public meeting in the
state’s industrial city, Bhilai, 30 km from here.

She sought an opportunity from the people to let the BSP form a
government in the state, claiming that only her party was committed to
the poor and marginalized people.

The BSP is contesting all the 90 seats in the state.

Chhattisgarh has 32 percent ST and 12 percent SC population among the state’s total 20.08 million people.

The state goes to the polls Nov 14 for 39 seats and Nov 20 for the rest 51 seats.